Automatic assembling machine



J1me 1953 c. D. SPJCER AUTOMATIC ASSEMBLING MACHINE Filed Nov. 19, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet //z .94 M9 v .INVENTOR, Cuer/s D. SPICEB ag/(41%.

His flttarnej June 2, 1953 c. D. 5mm 2,640,617

AUTOMATIC ASSEMBLING MACHINE Filed Nov. 19, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

dyer .5 0. SP/(EQ June 2, 1953 c. DJSPICER AUTOMATIC ASSEMBIQING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 15 Filed Nov. 19, 1947 INVENTOR. CuewsD SPICEE.

His fitter/reg approach pin loader 22 having multiple flexible tubular guides 24, one for each pin to be loaded into each fixture. Pins P are fed, one set at a time, to tubes 24 and are dropped into apertures or ports I9 of fixtures I4 (Fig. Tube-base fixtures I4 are then carried successively past tester 26 for automatically checking for a full complement of pins P in fixture I4; to base loader 28 where shells S (Fig. 4) are applied to the tops of pins P in fixture I4 (Fig. 6) to automatic pin ejector 30 for removing inadvertently incomplete sets of pins P; past stakers 32 and 34 where the top ends of the pins P are spread and staked against the inside of shellsS- (Fig. 8) and finally to ejector station 36 for removing the completed tube-bases.

Where a single pin or a. ,set,is lacking in any fixture I4 as determined by tester unit 26, operation of shell-applying unit 28 is later suppressed under control of unit 25; and unit 30 is effective thereafter to remove all pins from any fixture I4 where shell-applying was suppressed. The sequence of operations involving the suppression of shell-applying and the subsequent removal of the incomplete complement ofpins prevents stakers -32 and-34 from jamming pins in fixtures I4.

The following portion of the specification describes in detail the structure and operation of each of the cooperating work station units.

The construction and operation of pin loader 22 is well known in the art. .Its details form no partof the present invention. It normally operates to deliver a complete set of pins or inserts to each fixture I4, one pin being dropped down each tube 24 in each machinecycle.

. The nature of the shell-feeding and applying unit will be appreciated from Figs. 1, 2, 6 and 9. Preformed parts. bodies, or shells S are supplied by inclined chute 38, where they are carried with depending central locators L. The locator is provided with a rib Rthat orients (as will be seen later) the shell properly with respect to fixtures I4 and insures the proper relation of the pins to that rib (where the base being assembled does not employ the maximum number of pins as is frequently the case with bases for vacuum tubes) The shells are pulled by gravity, one at a time,

.into the peripheral recesses, sockets, or pockets .40xof feedplate 42and are. carried counterclockwise toward the loading position which is =reached .inztwo steps of feed plate 42. Chute 38 incorporates supporting flanges 44 and 46. A

supporting and guiding plate 48is extended arouately about feedplate' 42 from the lower end of flange 44 and acts to support and confine. the

shells during transit. workpiece shells S are delivered to arm 50 .which is resiliently pressed by spring 52 to gripone shell in cooperation with feed plate 42, at the level established by plate 48.

Shells S are individuallytransferred to successive fixtures I4 by a rotary and axially reciprocable plunger 54 (Figs. 1, 2 and 6) having a peripheral groove 56 in its'bottom end for receiving pins P. Rotary plunger 54 is carried in bearing 58 for sustained rotary drive by pulley 60, belt 62, pulley 64, and by motor .66 through internal reduction gearing. Bearing 58- is vertically reciprocated along stationary pin I0 by rod 68, actuated by lever I2, .camfollower I4 and cam I6 on drive shaft 20.; Cam 16 times the reciprocation to occur when ashell S is to be applied to a fixture I4 directly in line with plunger 54, and in which pins P previously have been loaded. Descent of bearing 58 under this control causes l e filw SiiPfiP. shel shamin l ht 4 frictional engagement with its walls and pressing downward on its bottom, to force shell S out of the grip of resilient arm 50 and feed plate 42 toward the fixture I4 until rib R contacts said fixture. During this descent, as at other times. plunger 54 is maintained in rotation. The rotary motion thus transmitted is effective to turn shell S until rib R on locator L'is aligned with com- 'plementary recess I8 of fixture I4 (Fig. 5) whereupon the plunger drops and forces the shell onto the fixture and pins and the locator descends into the central aperture of the fixture. Engagement between rib R and recess 18 stops the shell 1 from rotating despite frictional contact with rotating plunger 54." The plunger 54 is preferably made of rubber or other soft resilient material so that efficient driving contact may be established with the shell until locator L drops into recess 78. Lever 72 then elevates plunger 54, and turret I2 advances another fixture I4 into position below the plunger. Simultaneously feed plate 42 is indexed one step during the one-step advance of turret I2, another shell S being then advanced to arm 50. By this means shell S is properly oriented so that its pin-receiving apertures receive the pins already in place in fixture I4.

Feed plate 42 (see Fig. 2) obtains its rotary drive from shaft 84 through the slip drive provided-by friction plates bearing against the lower face of ratchet 04, the drive to the friction plates 80 being provided by sprocket 82 which is rotatably mounted on shaft 84 and urged upward by coil spring 86. Sprocket 82 is partly encircled by drive chain 88, which is in turn driven by sprocket on shaft SI of turret I2 and therefore .receives the indexing motion of the turntable.

In order to limit the motion of feed plate 42, it is latched against rotation by pawl 92 and ratchet 94 pinned to shaft 84. This pawl is Withdrawn and restored at the proper times by cam follower 98 and cam 96 on shaft 20, the cam and cam follower being maintained in engagement by spring I00.

Shell-transfer from arm 50 to fixture I4 is suppressed under control of disc I02 on shaft I04 when the fixture at the transfer station has in it less than the desired number of pins. Disc I02 has four normally vertical interponents I06. Shaft I04 is rotated by sprocket I08 which is engaged by chain 88 driven by turret I2. Interponents I06, can be shifted to incline outwardly by electromagnet H0 and bell crank II2 under control of the pin-checking unit 26, as will be seen. As illustrated there are two feed steps of turret I2 between pin-checking unit 26 and plunger 54 of transfer unit '28. There are, correspondingly, two steps of control disc I02 between the setting position of the interponent I 06 adjacent electromagnet H0 and the position of that interponent-when adjacent shaft 60. It will be self-evident that plunger 54 will be maintained in the elevated position shown, despite its release by lever I2 and control cam I6, when a shifted interponent is carried below shaft 68. This suppression occurs only when electromagnet I I0 was energized to shift that interponent I06 adjacent thereto when, two steps earlier in the rotation of the disc I 2,-checking unit 26 energized electromagnet.IIO. After passing shaft 60, the interponents I06 are carried past a stationary plate (not shown) above the level of their pivots which restores the sloping interponents to their normal vertical position. I

-E a irq a net- 1.1 h fl hell ans er nepeogeim pressing mechanismis energized-under ccntrel ofi pin cheehing -uni-t ifi (bestseenimFigs. 2-"and =3'=)a unit-comprises-ahead H 8 which is-cyclically lowerecl' into contact with the-pins each fix-- time [fibrnteans-of lever tH-secured to shaft H6, the shaft being oscillated in turn by the same leverlz *that'lewersthe shell-applying-head. Head 1 1' S ot the checking is secured tower-- tically-rec-i precable shaft l' the= Iowenend of which has a; collar- [24 secured thereto and a coil spring mare-r urging collar I24 -against lever l- I 4 Head I 1 8- is penetrated; lay-stationary vertical" shaft- [26 that guardshead+ I lB -against swinging about the-- center=- of= shaft [203 thereby maintaining that head directly above each fixtu-re I4 as--it-- is arrested atthis station;

Testing heacl- H8 includes plhral testing-pins I 28 oi insulating=- material that are slidable in blcekltilofbrass or other eleetrically conducti-ve material. 'Ioeach pin there secured a metal collar-162 pressed-against bloclc i 30 by compressionspring 13 5 which reacts--against-conductive plate l 36; It is apparent-that an electrical circuit will becom-pleted between terminal linblocle IBB a-nd terminal t3=1= iii-plate 36by any colla l 32 -and its springi34 so= long as any-pin ['28 remain in its lowered position. All of thetesting pinsin head H 8 are lowered when' the head-is in theelkavated position shown, and,- if any I -in- P islacking; the corresponding testing pin will remain lowered-after head- I 1'8 descend-s. Where less than the full complement of pineis to-be-employed thetestihgpins-whichcorrespond to-purposely omittedpins? may be disabledas by I blocking them in an elevated position.-

Electromag-net 1' l t of the shell transfer suppressinamechanismis-in-series with the-internal connections -in elevated-head- 1 l8, butis not nor mallyenergized because-ofinterposed, normally open-circuit switch l3t-located-in a position-beneathand inthe line of travel of lever arm- H4: This switch-is closed-only when head l [8 reaches its lower limit; and atsuc'lr timesterminals 135 and 1-31 will be bridged-onlywhere'one or more pins- P is-lacking-in-fixture Ms Normally; where thereisa comp1ete-complement of pins-P in fixture M; the-circuitbetween terminals 43 5-=andl 3-! of head-'1! 8 will 'bebroken just beforeswitch-ltfi -is-closed and magnet H0 willnot be enenerize'cl But, wherea pin P'is lacking, electromagnet HB 'will be energized as head i lt' is-iull y lowered; thusshifting' the-upper end oi -the interponent- I 06 adeacent' thereto away from shaft- !Mt Thus when that fixture M whichhas been found to-carry'an' incomplete complementof'pinsP'is indexed two steps forward into position under plunger 54"; the shifted interponent -l ile will havebeen' rotated into position-beneath shaftES -where it is enabled to suppress the shell supplying stroke of plunger- 54: When any" interponent H16 is thuseffective to suppress the shell-applying'operation, the shell 18 which was :to have been d'eliveredato the --fl'xture I i-remains gripped between arm 50"and feed plate-=42t Sprocket 82 at this time due 120 thegrip of finger 50 on the non-transferred:shell; is ineffectual to force rotation of thefeed plate beaus i f'the: i zz etw mfrictionplat s Bil:

Fixtures ;I dare adyancedistepwise toward units: 0113?- 4 1 15 621 hezwor'kinsivt ols. of 'wh har carriexzl byvertical. l slide; 1 Mi This, is reciproeted'in al mat enewiththeindexin -operations 6 out-to -fit down over and to encloseethe circle- 01? pins P in fixtures I4; the-hollow bei-naextended as-atubular-exit-chute*- I 42 Al'so secured to the reciprocable portion-of unit- 36 is-a valve-"control arm M4 A-normally' closed air valve-i 56 issupported bybed' pl-a-te 7 I I) adjacent the path of arm I45, to be opened thereby once every str'oke of slide: Mil Anaihsupplyline I 48 is connected-to deliver-ya line when valve: l l't is opened. Base supportingring- 3 is hollowed to--provide' cavity I 52 below block 14 k and zisconnected to air line lifit Fixtures It have through-passages I54 which are continuations of the-pin apertures l-9 i'n nxtures it; Whenslide lfll descends,- i'f'ther'e is 110251 1611 S 011 thefixtu-re It belowblocle Ill,

the bloch Ml rides all; theway down and is broughtto hear on -the fixture-while valve I4'6 i's simultaneously opened. The compressed-air;- delivered through air line i50 then expelsall: of the the pins-passing outtlirou'gh exit tub'e I42 The do tted lines indicate the lowered position of" block hi in: theinstance where shell-applying previouslyhadbeen-suppressed under control'of unit its due to the: ab's'ence of 'suflicient pins in ai-flxtu re- I'd- Block [M is carried by squared rod ltd- 2in sli debearing I58: Wherethere is a shell S ona-ny fixture underlyingblock. M I, the descent of slide Mil Will merely permit block HI to press the-shell downwardly against-the enlargement in the pins: whereby the: shellwill prevent" pin-.- removal when valve-M6 is opened bythe operationof arm- Hi l, bearing F58 descending along rocl i56 Shells S and full complements of pinsP are carried by fixtures It. beyond unit all'without effect; Staking; heads Stand 34; carriedon slide l 'tt with a relatively stifi internal spring mount' ina (not shown); are then-effective to spread the upperv ends'of tubular pins against-the insides of shells S asshown in- Fig. 8'. The'staking tools are-ineffectual with respect-to ba red fixtures I' l asthey pass readily into the pin-less apertures; Were there, of' cour'se, an incomplete setof pins leitin any fixture i t', those pins would be jammed in the fixture inthe absence of a shell S;

At the next work; station, the completed tube bases are raised' from fixtures I 4 by arm's I GI! of unit as; the armsbeing resiliently pressed 'toward each other so as to slip overand latch below the completed bases. An air jet (not shown) isefiec 'tive/toeject" the b'ases-laterally'from arms Hill;

A brief description-of the operation of thein-- venticn': described above follows: Intermittent rotation ofthe turreti2 is caused by the action oi barrel cam 15 on" the depending cam followers It; the barrel cam it being -continuously rotated by drive -shaft 2t: As the-turret I2 is rotated, its radially spacedn'xtures Mare carried'beneath the work stations-comprising pin loader 22, tester 2 8,: shell loader 28 automatic pin remover--30, stak'ers 32', and- 34, and ejectorstation 36, in sequence. At these" stations thevarious assembly steps necessary tethe-production of a completed base assembly' are accomplished, namely; the loadingiorpinsinto the fixture the checking of the loaded ,fixture for the proper number and location. vof. pins, the loadingiiof shells to the fixturesand onto the-topsoithe pins'wherea proper complement of pins has-beeniound, the removalofi pins-from those H fixtures-,1 to which the; shell: loader hasnot loaded shells dueyto the absence of ta'inr nerzmplementmf:pins; thessliakin'gcofi BR 1 05 1 2 hells-which zconstitutesrthe finatistepi of assembly and, lastly, the removal of the completed base from the fixture.

At pin feeder 22 the desired number of pins are fed to the proper, predetermined orifices in the successively stationed fixtures M- by means of the delivery tubes 24 in a manner already known in the art.

Fixture I4 is then indexed around to tester 26 where a check is made by the contacting portions of vertically reciprocating head H8 for the proper complement of pins in given fixture M. The head H8 is lowered under the influence of timed cam control from power shaft 20, and descends through a suitable linkage onto each fixture M as it stops at that station. If a pin is lacking from a desired pin recess in fixture i4, contacts within head H8 remain closed, and, when the descending under portion of head positioning lever H4 strikes micro switch I38, an electrical circuit is completed which operates on solenoid H9 at the shell supplying station to cause suppression of the shell supplying operation when the fixture which has been found deficient in its supply reaches that station.

In the event that a proper number of pins are found in the fixture, all of the contacts carried by head H8 are opened and no operating signal is sent to the suppressor portion of the shell delivery unit.

Fixture M then continues on its indexed circuit and, as shown in the drawings, arrives after two indexing steps at shell transfer unit 23.

Loading of the shell S onto the fixture is accomplished in two steps. The shells are supplied by inclined chute 3'8 with depending central locaters L and are set thereby into engagement with the recessed feed plat 42 which is stepped around simultaneously with turret l2 so as to supply an individual shell to a position above each fixture as it arrives at the loading station. When a fixture with the proper complement of pins stops beneath the shell, the continuously rotating plunger 54 is caused to travel downward into internal frictional engagement with the shell by downward travel of bearing 58 under control of a linkage operated by a cam on the continually rotating power shaft 20. Downward travel of plunger 54 and bearing 58 is continued to force the shell out of engagement with the feed plate 42 and spring loaded arm 50 into fixture M where the locater pin L of shell S eventually rotates into engagement with the slotted recess in fixture M. The shell S then ceases to rotate and is forced downward into full engagement with the fixture by further travel of plunger 54 thereby receiving the upward protruding portions of the pins P in the holes provided. Plunger 54 is then drawn upwards and out of engagement with shell S, permitting the fixture to be indexed along towards the staking stations.

In the event that the proper number of pins has not been inserted in the fixture l4 by the pin feeding mechanism, a signal will have been transmitted from the pin sensing mechanism 26 to the suppressor solenoid H8. The latter operates to tilt an interponent )6 which is then transferred (by the rotation of disc H12 in steps corresponding to the position of the fixture found to contain the improper number of pins) into position beneath the vertical operating shaft 68, a part of the linkage controlling the lowering and raising of plunger 54 and bearing 58. The tilted interponent, when indexed into a position beneath rod 68, interferes with the downward travel of the assembly, thereby preventing delivery of a shell to the defectively supplied fixture upon its arrival at the shell supply station. The operation of the mechanism at this station is thus to provide a shell to those fixtures only which arrive at the shell loading station with the proper complement of pins.

Fixture Id is then indexed into position at the automatic pin ejector 30. Here, attached to a vertically reciprocating head M0 which also carries the staking tools 32 and 34 and an ejector mechanism 35 up and down simultaneously in timed relationship with the indexing of the turret, is the pin removal unit 30. At this station a blast of air released through valve M6 under control of arm Hi l projecting from the vertical carriage of the pin ejector unit is applied to the fixture through a channel in the base plate beneath the fixture and under the ejector unit to the pin receiving apertures of the fixture. Although the air blast is applied to the fixture regardless of whether the proper number ofpins are present in the fixture or not, the air blast is not effective to cause the removal of pins which are held in place by a shell, as would be the case where a proper number of pins were present. This is because the shell is held in place over the fixture and on the pins by pressure from block hli which has moved downward under control of the main slide [40. Block M! is yieldably linked to slide I46 so that its downward travel will be limited by the presence of a shell, or so that, in the absence of a shell, it may travel downward to a position immediately over and surrounding the fixture M. In the latter case, the pins are not retained in place by the shell and are free to travel out of their apertures under the compulsion of the blast and upward into the guide recess in block MI, whence they are directed through a tubular delivery chute M2 to a suitable receptacle stationed adjacent to the turret on the frame of the machine. Upward travel of the ejector unit then terminates the air blast and permits indexing of the turret.

At succeeding machine stations 32 and 34, staking of the pins to the shell in fixtures [4 may be accomplished in a manner well known to the art. The staking tools are reciprocated inand out of work position by slide M0 as dictated by the indexing motions of the turret and are enabled by the absence of improperly assembled parts to stay free of jams.

The final assembly step occurs at the ejector station 36 where the completed base assembly comprising a number of pins P staked to shell S is removed from the fixture M by the clawed ejector tool 36 which is also vertically reciprocated by the slide I 40.

, The foregoing represents a specific embodiment of the invention, illustrating several of its novel aspects. It will be readily apparent that a wide range of substitution may be practiced within the spirit of the invention, and that the whole and the novel portions are adaptable to other uses. Such departure from the specific illustration is intended to be embraced in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a machine of the class described, a turret having a series of supports each adapted to receive a preformed body, means for holding one body at a time in axial alignment with each of said supports as they are successively advanced, and a reciprocable head for axially transferring said one body to said supports, said head including drive means for rotating said one body aisies: isax el rtereav r eiward Ifi a ma hine' f' he lass descr be ret having a wor-le support carrying work orientation, determining means, gripping devices for bett ga WQ DieCe in s aced 2 98 92 ai supp rt axially erqeahle and rota a l member for transferring a workpiece from, said grip ng dev s to Said k eupre nd f r etaties t workpiece in ntact w network ar rt at n detemining e ae. an te' roper orientation with respect thereto, and a rotary drive for said member.

3. In a machine of the class described, a turret having a work-supporting fixture, said fixture having a work-orientation determining portion complementary to a preformed portion of a workpiece, work-retaining devices opposite said fixture for frictionally sustaining a workpiece in spaced relation to said fixture, an axially reciprocable and rotatable transfer element opposite said fixture, and a rotary drive and a yieldable axial actuating mechanism for said transfer element, said drive and actuating mechanism being effective to cause transfer of the workpiece to said fixture and to rotate said workpiece with respect to said fixture into proper rotational orientation therewith.

4. In a machine of the class described, a worksupporting fixture, a peripherally pocketed feed plate for carrying workpieces individually over said fixture, an arm for pressing the workpiece against the pocket opposite said fixture so as to support the workpiece frictionally, and a workapplying head supported for vertical reciprocation through said feed plate pocket to said fixture.

5. In a machine of the class described, a work- 'supporting fixture, a peripherally pocketed feed plate for carrying workpieces individually opposite said fixture, an arm for pressing the Workpiece against the pocket opposite said fixture so as to support the workpiece frictionally, a workapplyingheadsupported for reciprocation along the transfer path from said feed plate to said fixture, and a yieldable rotary drive for said feed plate.

6. In a machine of the class described, a turret, a series of work-supporting fixtures carried by said turret, a feed plate and a stationary arm for delivering workpieces one at a time into spaced alignment over the fixtures successively advanced by said turret, a rotatable and vertically reciprocable plunger for transferring the workpieces to the fixtures successively and for frictionally rotating them during transfer to said fixtures, said fixtures having work-orienting means complementary to shaped portions of the workpieces.

7. A base-assembling machine comprising in combination, a series of work-supporting fixtures having a work-orienting portion and pinreceiving recesses, means for inserting pins into said recesses, a testing device to check the insertion of a full complement of pins in each of said fixtures, successively, a transfer unit for delivering shells individually to a position opposite said fixtures individually, said unit including a feed plate having a rotary frictional drive, an arm for frictionally confining a single shell in said position against said feed plate, a reciprocable and rotary plunger, a yieldable actuating mechanism for said plunger for transferring said workpieces individually toward said fixtures, and a rotary drive for said plunger effective during i s e ened ime;

de a e k li fi fi i @FEQE ii} P i-" t i' li tiqi mber of indexing steps to presents aid, worlgsup-pent at number of work stations, means for'loading multiple inserts into said support, a testing device for checking the loading of all of said inserts, a transfer unit for applying a preformed part of the product to said support to overlie said inserts, said loading means, testing device and transfer unit being spaced peripherally about said turret, control means actuated by said testing device to determine the operation of the transfer unit so that no preformed part will be applied to saidsupport where any insert is lacking, and a cyclically operable unit effective to remove all of the inserts from said support whenever operation of the transfer unit was suppressed.

9. In combination, a turret for supporting a series of fixtures, each of said fixtures having a series of ports adapted to receive an arbitrary number of inserts, a testing device for contacting the inserts in said fixtures, successively, to check for the presence of a full complement of inserts in said fixture supply means for workpieces, a transfer unit for applying workpieces over said inserts, and means under control of said testing unit for preventing operation of said transfer unit when a fixture having an incomplete complement of inserts arrives at said transfer unit, and a pneumatic ejector for clearing all those fixtures emerging from said workpiece-applying unit without superposed workpieces.

10. In combination, a turret having a series of work-supporting fixtures, a'loader for inserting a full complement of pins into said fixtures, successively, a tester for thereafter checking the presence of a full complement of pins, a transfer unit for applying preformed bodies to said pins, said unit including a pocketed rotary feed plate, a stationary arm cooperating with the pocket of said feed plate in delivery position to maintain one body in spaced alignment with each of the fixtures on said turret as they are advanced successively, and a reciprocable and rotary transfer device, a pin remover coacting with said fixtures successively as they emerge from said transfer unit, the preformed bodies being effective to retain the pins in said fixtures so that the pins will be removed from only those fixtures lacking preformed bodies, and means for securing the pins to the bodies cyclically operable irrespective of the condition of loading of said fixtures.

11. A base-staking machine comprising a turret having a fixture carried thereby and apertured to receive terminal pins, said turret being adapted to be rotated in a number of steps to present said fixture successively to a number of work stations, a pin-loader, a shell-loader and a pin-staker at spaced peripheral points about said turret for assembling and staking base parts, and a pin-remover between said shell-loader and said staker for removing pins from said fixture whenever operation of the shell-loader is ineffective so that only those pins will be staked which are associated with shells.

2,640,617 11 12 e i p 12. A base-staking machine according to claim References Cited in the fi1e' of this patent 11 wherein said pin-remover comprises a cycli- .s I V cally reoiprocable head, 'a hollowed block slidably UNITED STATES PATENTS carried by said head and slldable in relation thereto and an air pressure supply cyclically 5 i gag g g g controlled. for applying pressure to the bottoms 1941'992 Mcenn 1934 of the pins whereby only those pins will be re- 2343'664 Heiser y 1944 moved that are not retained in the fixture by 00- 2358745 sfiegntz' sepia 1944 action of sa d hollowed block with a, superposed 2,423,038 Me June 24 1947 shell. 10

CURTIS SPICER' 2,515,881 Makenny July 18, 1950 

